The present invention generally relates to holsters for firearms with interchangeable cowlings. More particularly, the present invention relates to a holster device with interchangeable cowlings that allow a user to toollessly decouple a cowling member from the holster and toollessly couple a differently shaped cowling member to the holster, thus forming a differently shaped holster pocket.
Handguns have been carried in holsters by their owners for a few hundred years. Advances in holster design are not new. Different types of holsters have been created to suit the different needs of those carrying pistols. Duty Holsters, which include outside the waistband (OTW) holsters that typically attach to a belt or harness and are designed to be plainly visible, are used by law enforcement personnel and the military. Concealment holsters, which include inside the waistband (ITW) holsters, shoulder holsters, “belly band” holsters, pocket holsters, groin holsters and ankle holsters and are designed to be worn inconspicuously under clothing, are likewise popular with plain-clothes police officers and military personnel, as well as with civilians who wish to conceal and carry their firearm. Sporting holsters are designed to best suit the sport for which they are being used, and thus vary widely. For example, some sporting holsters are designed for the quickest possible release of the firearm (for quick-draw contests); some are designed for silent operation and maximum retention of the firearm (for hunting); and some are designed to prevent damage to the pistol carried therein.
Just as different holsters have evolved for different applications, pistols have evolved for use in different circumstances. Hunters may use larger caliber pistols, while competitors in accuracy and quick-draw competitions will likely use pistols that fire ammunition with less energy when fast repetitive shots are to be taken. Those who wish to conceal and carry their pistol may want a sidearm without a hammer (as the hammer can get caught in clothing), while many police officers often want to see the hammer cock back and fall as they pull the trigger so that the discharge of the cartridge is not startling or surprising.
Many people have multiple firearms—one for each situation in which they may find themselves. However, having many firearms typically requires having multiple holsters. Indeed, holsters typically have only one function—they hold a specific model or type of sidearm in the pocket of the holster until the firearm is needed by the user. All of the above listed types of holsters have proven useful in their fields performing just such a function. However, this singular function is also a limitation—holsters are typically designed to cradle only a single sidearm or very similar types of sidearms.
Further, most pistols are somewhat customizable with add-ons. Those who wish to use their pistol at night can have night sights (illuminated sights that allow users to properly align their sights on a target when the sights themselves cannot normally be seen) and/or a small under-barrel flashlight added to their pistol. Those who wish to know exactly where their pistol is aiming may wish to add a laser sight add-on to their pistol. Some police and military personnel now have video camera attachments on their weapons so that a record can be kept of exactly where the weapon was pointing at a given time.
Often, people with firearms utilize at least one of various accessories for each situation in which they may find themselves. However, having many sidearm accessories typically requires having multiple holsters, or having to refrain from attaching the desired accessory until the weapon can be carried in its holster to the location of use, at which point the accessory is installed in the field, or even sacrificing the fit of the weapon in the holster.
Similarly, those who work in law enforcement or the military often need to adapt to ever changing situations by supplementing their firearms with various accessories. It is highly impractical for such people to be unable to holster their supplemented sidearm every time an additional element is added, or to have to carry an additional holster and attempt to swap holsters in the field—typically not the easiest of processes when tools are needed.
Holsters are designed for specific circumstances and hold limited types of sidearms with a specific set of (or no) add-ons in the pocket of the holster until the firearm is needed by the user. When dealing with firearm owners with multiple pistols, each of which has multiple possible configurations with various accessories, or with police and military personnel, the holster's singular configuration can become a serious limitation.
Consequently, a need has long been felt for a holster that can be quickly and easily altered toollessly to accept multiple firearm models or multiple configurations of a single firearm.